Overview
- Neighborhood associations from Cabo de Gata‑Níjar formally asked the Government’s subdelegate for stronger Guardia Civil del Mar staffing plus upgraded boats, gear and technical resources.
- Fiscal Superior Ana Tárrago launched an administrative file to gather reports on the presence of these vessels along the Andalusian coast during recent storms, including beaches, marinas and the Guadalquivir.
- The prosecution notes the craft are high‑powered and banned since 2018, typically operating from international waters, reaching 60–70 knots and refueled at sea by support boats.
- Winter weather pushed numerous narcolanchas to seek shelter near shore; late January brought a seizure of an unoccupied vessel in Almuñécar and sightings in La Caleta de Vélez.
- Guardia Civil associations report a sharp rise in activity on the Almería coast, with episodes of up to 14 boats, while local groups warn of risks to public safety, the environment and the area’s tourism image and reject xenophobic narratives.